Second Tuesday
by AstaLaila
Summary: Rory is stuck between the two different parts of herself that have grown at Yale, and the two boys from these parts. But she quickly finds her new situation isn't so foriegn, and not in the ways she thought. LoganRoryMarty
1. Set The Stage

Marty tossed the end of his scarf over his shoulder and grabbed the doorknob. The phone rang and he wanted to just ignore it and let the machine get it, but he sighed, and jumped over the orange ottoman to grab it in time.

"Hello?"

" Hello? Hey, Marty?" Marty smiled a little to himself and leaned back against the wall.

" Hey, Rory, I was just leaving."

"Good, I'm so glad I caught you then."

"Why, something wrong?" Marty started to get a bit apprehensive.

"No, I just have to cancel out on our study date."

"Oh, is that all?" Marty forced out. He was disappointed, not that Rory would really notice.

"I just, I have this article for the paper, and I just have to go and do some research. I'm so sorry, it just has to be tonight…" She was waiting for him to say it was alright, that he didn't mind, and he knew it. But he wasn't quite ready to let her off yet.

" Did you forget?"

" Forget what?" Rory started to feel panicked, searching in her head for something special about their study session that would make Marty upset.

" The article. Did you forget that you had to research tonight when you asked me to help you study?" Rory felt the purposeful sting he put in, reminding her that she had planned all this.

" No, I just….it came up, and I really should go…But…" She was feeling worse by the minute.

" Go."

" Are you sure…Because…If you want…"

" No, it's good for me to get blown off every once in a while. It keeps my ego under control. I wanted to go out with some friends anyway." Marty said with a self depreciating laugh. " Night Rory." He hung up the phone.

" Marty. Marty-" She was cut off by the anonymous buzzing of the phone." Marty." She sighed. For some reason, she felt the back of her throat ache sharply for a moment as she stared at the screen, flashing the 1:47 minutes it had taken to make her feel like a bad person.

" Hey, you ready yet?"

Rory slipped her phone into the pocket of her coat and threw the end of her scarf over her shoulder.

" Yeah. I'm ready." She nodded and followed Colin out to the SUV.

* * *

Marty shook his head. He was tired of Rory. He was tired of her being so naïve about everything. He was tired of her talking about Logan. He was tired of her being oblivious, or ignorant. Most of all he was tired of thinking about her. He pressed the talk button on the phone and dialed a number.

" Brian? Hey. Yeah…..You guys still going out tonight for pool?.....Sure….Yeah, I'll be there in ten. Yeah….Bye." He picked his keys out of his pocket and locked his dorm behind him.

* * *

Rory was sitting on the back bench of the SUV, wedged between Logan, Colin, and the girl on Colin's lap. Usually the more reserved of the group, Colin had popped a magnum of champagne when they had got in, and was pouring another glass for Stacia, the curly haired red-head who was sitting on him. She laughed as Colin whispered something in her ear, swinging her legs and kicking Rory in the shin.

"OW."

" Ooops, sorry Tory."

" Rory." She corrected irritably.

"Okay." Stacia giggled, taking another sip of champagne.

In the front seat, Finn took his hand off the steering wheel and turned up the music, singing loudly and surprisingly well to Franz Ferdinand. Stephanie called for some one to pass the bottle from the passenger seat. Alexis and Jonathan, Colin's cousins, were having a heated debate over the relative hotness of two girls in them biochemistry class, aided with quick comments from Logan, who considered himself an expert on everything, and his advice always useful.

" She's got all the bits, but it's the whole that's lacking." Alexis insisted.

Rory sighed and stared at her reflection, which looked far off and lonely in the rear view mirror. She felt terrible, and not just guilty, but sad.

Logan stopped listening to Jonathan and Alexis for a minute and looked over at Rory. He noticed her despondent look and frowned.

" Hey." He put his fingers on the crook of her crossed arms. He cocked his head, trying to look into her face. " Hey, are you okay?" Rory bit her lip, and looked down at her lap, part of her not wanting Logan to see her blinking heavily, another part wanting him to keep trying.

Logan was fighting himself. This wasn't him. He did not like girls like this way. He had a line up of girls. He chose them. He didn't try to get girls to pick him. But there was something about Rory. Maybe it was just the fun of livening up her stable life, but by his behaviour, Colin and Finn were pretty sure it was something else. Used to taking risks, Logan still felt nervous as he lifted his hand up and gently touched under her chin.

"Rory?" She looked up at him through her eyelashes, unknowingly doing a great deal of damage to Logan's resistance. Colin glanced over at the two of them, Logan's hand slipping to the base of her neck, and gave a nodding telegraph to Finn. Finn looked back quickly in the mirror, without missing a lyric, and snorted quietly in triumph, nudging Stephanie. She rolled her eyes and murmured to Finn.

" There is going to be one hell of a lot of pissed off girls. Once they find out she skipped in line."

" She's more than skipped. I'd say she's about convinced him for the backstage pass." Finn grinned wickedly.

" Finn!" Stephanie scolded him as he raised his eyebrows daringly, moving his foot to the brake pedal.

" ALL RIGHT, BOYS AND GIRLS, FIRST STOP!" Finn hollered, still smiling. He pulled over in front of one of the libraries, and twisted in his chair. " Colin, you're up."

The seats all shuffled and Rory quickly felt awkward, leaning precariously over Logan, her hair hanging in his face, as Colin pushed his way to the door. Once he was standing on the pavement, leaning in the door, she was able to sit back down, less crowded, but with an awkward cough. Logan himself was feeling a little uncomfortable too, although he wouldn't admit it.

" Well, what is it then?" Colin asked impatiently.

"Aha." Jonathan exclaimed. " The Dare."

" The Dare!" The others repeated in chorus, Finn giving it a particularly impressive diabolical flourish. Rory was confused, but that was better than upset, so she smiled back when Logan gave her his encouraging grin.

" You, Master Colin, have been chosen for a rather delightful, though defaming task this eve." Alexis replied with a grin. "We have discover, a rather pretty, and…..talkative junior from your Poli. Sci. class is monitoring the library check out, where you will do the following…"

* * *

The seven others crowded around a study table. They watched as Colin cast them a dark look, but headed resolutely for the library desk.

" Excuse me…ah…" He glanced at her name tag. " Cynthia." He gave her a charming smile and quickly dropped the pile of books he was carrying onto the desktop. " I'd like to check these out." She smiled back at him and reached for the top book, but frowned as she read the title of it, and then the next, and the next book:

A Beginner Guide to STDs

Venereal Disease and Your Health

V.D., S.T.D. and Me

The Index of Sexual Health

" Oh, are you in pre-med then?" Cynthia asked.

" No. Why do you ask?" Colin said with a frown. Cynthia swallowed and quickly ran the books over the scanner, not smiling quite as much as before.

" Okay…Is there, um, anything else?"

" Well, yes, I was having trouble find an old periodical. I thought it might be in stacks."

" I'm not sure. I could page another librarian to take a look."

" Oh, please, would you?" Colin replied enthusiastically.

" Um, the title?" Cynthia asked hesitantly.

" S.T.D. Do It Yourself Home Cures?"

Cynthia picked up the old-fashioned mike next to her and reluctantly pressed the button.

" Stacks check for periodical. 'S.T.D. Do It Yourself Home Cures'?" A burst of giggles broke out from tables across the library as necks craned to see the check out desk. As they waited for the answer Colin smiled confidently, while Cynthia tried to avoid meeting his eyes. A librarian appeared from a staircase and shook her head. Cynthia looked up at Colin reluctantly.

" Sorry."

" Not to worry. I should have enough material here to patch something together." Colin replied cheerfully. " I'll see you in class then."

" Yeah…I guess so." Cynthia said quickly, and turned away from him. Colin picked up his books and strode out of the library. The other seven followed him, their ribs aching from holding in laughter. People at other tables snickered and looked up as Colin pushed the door open and strode out to the SUV.

* * *

" Bloody hell. I'm going to be the most unpopular person at Yale for the next month." Colin groaned as he climbed back into the car and the red haired Stacia tried to comfort him by playing with the hair at the back of his neck. " First the whole of Rory's philosophy class thinks she stole my balls, now the entire library think their about to gangrene and fall off!"

" It can't be that bad Colin. Look on the bright side. If that really does happen, you'll have a beautiful singing voice." Finn teased him.

" Oh, so that's your secret then-" Colin challenged him, to a round of jeers at Finn in the car.

Rory laughed, smiling widely and shifted in her seat to move her seat belt. She ended up leaning her back against Logan's shoulder as she bent down to try to undo and redo the buckle. Logan swallowed quickly, his mouth feeling dry, and decided. He downed the rest of his drink and carefully lifted his arm up, laying it across the back of the seat, letting his hand fall onto Rory's arm. Startled, she looked up from the belt to see the hand. Looking over her other shoulder at Logan she saw him looking at her seriously, breathing slightly more quickly than usual. He watched her, not receiving any signals, yet decided to take another risk. He ran his fingers gently up and down her arm, watching her eyes, actually a little afraid, but still daring her to do something, anything. He watched her scan slowly up and down his body and face, looking back at his eyes. Rory's face broke suddenly, not into what could be described as a smile, but no longer the solemn expression from before. She gave herself a small nod and Logan furrowed his brow in curiosity at the decision she appeared to have come to. Rory leaned cautiously back against Logan's side, her neck resting against the top of his arm. He couldn't see as she smiled widely at her hands, and he couldn't see him grin, not cockily, but with happily. The both started to laugh as an indignant Finn challenged Colin to a sing off, to the dirty version of 'I am the very model of a modern major general.'

As the two of them chanted off in louder and louder voices, Rory forgot she had been unhappy, now slouched down on the seat with laughter, and reached up, tugging on Logan's fingers as she laughed at a particularly absurd verse. Logan tightened his own finger around hers, and rested his chin on the top of Rory's head, quietly explaining some of the more obscure lyrics, which they had created the last summer at Finn's summer house in Adelaide.


	2. Second Tuesday!

Marty knocked on the door of Brian's suite and tucked his hands into his pockets as he waited. The door opened to loud music and a boy with shaggy red hair.

" Marty, hey, I'm just waiting for ANA TO GET OUT OF THE BATHROOM!" He shouted in the direction of a closed door that was muffling the sound of a hair drier.

" COMING!" Ana shouted back.

" Where's Craig?" Marty asked, closing the door behind him and flopping onto the couch.

" Meeting us there. He has to finish up at work and he'll meet us there afterward, after he picks something up. So, what happened with you lately?" Brian stopped sorting through a pile of gloves and scarves for a moment and looked over his shoulder inquisitively.

" What do you mean?"

" I mean, you've been canceling out on us, including tonight, and our fridge is desperately empty of ridiculously over-wrapped party leftovers." Brian grabbed a pair of gloves and sat down on the chair next to Marty. Marty avoided his eyes.

" I'm not following."

" Come on Marty. You're lost. You have this whole sad puppy look going for you when you're hot for someone."

" I do not." Marty frowned and shook his head.

" Ana?" The sound of the hair drier had stopped and Ana stuck her head out of the bathroom, scrunching product into her hair.

" Yeah?"

" Notice any thing about Marty?"

" Uh, puppy face? Aww, you like someone! Who is it?" Anna walked out of the bathroom, and zipped up her sweater, looking for her jacket.

" It's no one." Marty pleaded half heartedly.

" Oh, is it that Lori girl?" Ana asked.

" Her name's Rory." Marty corrected, before he could stop himself.

" Ha." Brian exclaimed, pointing his finger at Marty. " See. Liar."

" Look, I don't want to talk about it. Can we just get going?" Marty stood up and walked to the door,

" Yeah, sure." Ana said, smiling sympathetically, as Brian helped her into her jacket.

"We'll save the full drilling for Tara, she gets more out of him anyway." Brian added quietly to Ana. Marty looked back at them suspiciously.

" What?"

" Oil drilling. In Tehran." Brian lied.

" Yeah sure." Marty rolled his eyes, and knocked Brian's baseball hat to the ground.

* * *

As they drove their way through campus, Rory became curious.

" So, what is all this anyway?"

" Second Tuesday!" Colin declared triumphantly. The others replied with an equally enthusiastic 'Second Tuesday'.

" And what exactly is Second Tuesday?" Rory asked, bemused.

" Well," Logan began, running one hand gently across Rory's arm, and using the other to

gesture. " We at the Life and Death Brigade like some semblance of order to our entropy,

so we have Dare Night each month."

" Oh, on every second Tuesday." Rory grinned.

" Exactly," Alexis agreed. " Except when it's on the third Wednesday."

" Or the first Monday." Stephanie added.

" But never a Friday." Colin said solemnly.

" No. Never a Friday." Logan nodded emphatically.

"Why not a Friday?" Rory questioned. Finn gasped from the front seat.

" Friday is a sacred day." He informed. Rory looked up at Logan in confusion.

Logan smiled back at her and explained. " The first night of Weekend. Our most beloved of holidays."

" Oh, of course. Then…Who's next?" She looked around as they passed a look to each

other, and Colin smiled deviously.

"Newbie's turn. Gilmore's up, so thinking caps on fellows. Oh, and ladies of course.

Five minutes to the pub."

Rory smiled nervously, but couldn't help feeling excited.

* * *

Marty grabbed cues off the wall while Brian, who had started college a year late and was already twenty-one, got them a couple of drinks. Marty grabbed his beer and took a sip, leaning against the pool table. Ana walked around him and set the cue ball on the table, lining up her first shot.

" So Marty, haven't talked to you much lately. How's things going with Uncle Dad?" Marty laughed and turned to watch her shot.

" Okay. Not great, but better. He was over for Thanksgiving."

" Awkward?" Brian asked

" Not as much as I would have thought." Marty chalked up his cue, spreading blue dust across his finger tips. He bent down over the pool table. " Six in the left." The balls knocked heavily against each other and the six dropped into the pocket. " I'm definitely over the whole surprise part. I'm just still trying to fit in all the separate pieces that are finally starting to make sense, now that I know." His next shot missed so he backed off and took another sip from his beer.

" Hey, we were thinking about starting up a shinny league. You interested?" Brian asked, looking up after his shot.

Marty nodded eagerly.

" I was talking about that with some of the guys in my geo class. When it freezes over they set a rink up in McGullen Park over by Grady." Marty was glad he was out tonight, out with his friends. As much as he liked to be with Rory, this was good. Nice.

" What about girls hunh?" Ana teased them. She was a winger, with twelve years experience in the rink.

" No, no girls allowed." Brian said firmly. " It's is embarrassing and a terrible ego wound to keep losing to you." His shot missed and Ana stepped in and knocked her own into the pocket.

" See, I would have thought you were used to it now." Ana laughed. Disgruntled, Brian nudged her elbow on her next shot. Marty shook his head and lined up his shot while Ana whacked Brian in the back of the legs with her cue.

" Three in the centre." Marty called. The cue ball rolled across the table, ticked off a yellow ball, and hit the green, which stopped just short of the pocket.

" Oh, tough luck." A voice called from across the crowd. Marty turned and saw Tara weaving through the crowd with two draughts in her hands, followed by Craig.

" My lot exactly." Marty grinned. Craig nodded at him through the noise and headed for the cue rack. Tara came up and dropped the glasses on the table before she wrapped her arms tightly around Marty.

" It's good to see you hon."

" I haven't seen you in so long. When did you get back? You look so tanned. " Marty smiled harder than he had in a while. Tara had been on a two month exchange to California as part of a special program in the environmental science department. She shook out her loose blonde waves.

" I know! And I'm all naturally highlighted too! Lightened and darkened with no cost, well, other than the cost of going to California." Tara wrinkled up her forehead and Marty laughed, letting her out of the hug. She took both his hands and held them out, looking Marty up and down.

" You look good, you know" She gave him a half-smile. Her slate blue eyes were bright and Marty found himself wrapping his fingers around hers more tightly. He smiled shyly.

" Yeah, paleness really agrees with me." He said self-depreciatingly, noticing how much lighter his fingers were than her.

" I think it does…It's very….uh….British chic."

" Really. British Chic." They looked at each other seriously, then broke out in smiles.

" What?" Tara excused herself, slipping over to the pool table and grabbing her draught.

" The British were the only pale nationality I could think of!" Marty stood back for a second, having forgotten completely about Rory, and watched as Tara hugged Ana and Brian. She looked back over her shoulder.

" Hey. What are you doing over there? Come and join my welcome home party. It's your turn anyways. And Brian tells me that Ana and I are going to get to kick your ass on ice soon. I love the challenge of new terrain. It gets boring beating you on the pool table all the time. " Marty shook his head and pick up his cue from where he had lent it against the table.

" Alright, that's it. Craig, rack them up again. Restart, girls against guys." Marty challenged, chalking his cue, and spreading more blue dust across his fingertips.

" Hey, now Marty, don't get to hasty there." Brian protested.

" Gee guys, your confidence is really intimidating." Tara teased as Marty missed his shot and sighed.

"I'm going to go grab another beer. You want one Brian?" Brian drained his glass.

" Yeah. At least then their something to pass the blame to." He shrugged.


	3. Turning Tables

Rory gulped back the last of her fourth glass of champagne, tossing the glass into the back seat, and followed the rest of the group into the pub. She tripped ungracefully over the door stop, but Logan caught her, and wrapped his arm around her waist. She giggled, looking up into his face and admiring the way his eyes were looking at her, scanning quickly across her face and down her body. He smiled and whispered warmly in her ear, sending shivers into her fingers, unless that was just the champagne.

" Ready for your debut Ace." Rory nodded, and gathered up her courage. Finn passed her the toy microphone, pulled out a chair and offered her a hand up. Rory climbed up onto the table. Looking around the pub, she felt dizzy, but quickly steadied herself. Her gaze fell upon a familiar dark head. She watched a tanned, blonde girl walked up, very close beside him, and put her hand on his arm, looking into his face.

* * *

Marty turned around from the bar, sliding his fake ID back into his pocket. He looked down to get a grip on the glass. Glancing back up he suddenly saw Rory slide through the door, wrapped in Logan Huntzberger, who was whispering in her ear. He swallowed thickly, and pushed his way through the crowd to the pool table. He dropped the glasses irritably on the table and beer sloshed across the felt. 

" Watch it!" Brian complained. " I need as much of that as I can get."

" What's wrong?" Tara put her hand on Marty's arm, looking concerned.

" Nothing." Marty sighed and turned to take his shot.

* * *

Rory steeled herself and looked at Logan. He grinned at her and she grinned back, feeling bolder. Finn clapped loudly. 

" Ladies and gentlemen, my fine companions, tonight, you have the great pleasure of experiencing the American debut of the delightful…..LORELAI VICTORIA GILMORE! Take it away Lorelai!" He announced and Rory coughed, giggled nervously, and then started.

" On a Monday…I am waiting… Tuesday I am fading…." She started timidly, but the bar-tender shook his head and popped a CD into a player. Rory smiled gratefully for the back up and sang louder.

* * *

" Oh my go-" Marty dropped his pool cue at the sound of the voice. 

" What's wrong?" Ana's brow creased with concern and followed his eyes. " OH."

" Rory." Marty sighed. He started towards the table.

" Excuse me. Excuse me. EXCUSE ME!" Marty finally just bull-dogged his way through the crowd that had begun to gather.

" Rory! RORY!" Rory looked down happily at his voice, but then quickly turned away, remembering that she had blown Marty off. She started to sing even more loudly and tried to ignore Marty.

" As if you know me better than I ever knew myself…."

" Rory, please get down from there before you fall down." Marty reached ou his arm to her. Rory waved him away. Marty looked around himself and didn't really like Rory in her short length skirt, standing on a table that was surrounded by partially drunk college boy. True, he was a partially drunk college boy, but it was different. " Rory, you're making a fool of yourself. Come on. You should go home." Logan noticed, and came over, maneuvering himself behind Marty.

" She's just having some fun Marky. She needs to one in a while." Marty turned around to see who was talking and frowned. Logan took the chance to slip in between Marty and the table Rory was on.

" It's Marty, and you know that. She could get hurt." Marty turned, pushing past Logan. "Rory, come on, get down." He glanced around at the crowd as she continued to sing, or tried to. "Please Rory." She looked down at him. He thought that for a moment, she had a hurt look on her face as she looked into her eyes, but shook her head.

" See, the lady wants you to leave her alone. Isn't that right Ace?"

" Yeah, well ACE is drunk. Se doesn't know what she wants." Marty retorted.

" Well apparently it's not you kid, so why don't you go back to the sand box."

" Don't call me kid." Marty said indignantly.

" Marty." Brian said warningly from the crowd behind him. Tara watched apprehensively.

" You're going to loose a lot of business if you take this any further. I'd be careful." Logan warned.

"Do you only think about money? I'm so tired of all you rich kids thinking you're better than everyone else!" Marty shot at Logan.

" If the shoe fits."

" Conceited jackass." Marty mumbled, shaking his head.

" Charity case."

" At least I earned my spot here." Marty pointed his finger at his chest.

" What's that supposed to mean." Logan stepped in closer to Marty, not intimidated by his greater height.

" You don't study, you don't go to class, you don't work, you're daddy's just paying you're way into and through school. You're pathetic."

" Jealous?" Logan said, trying to sound cocky, but also trying to hide that Marty had hit a nerve.

" Yeah, my life goal is to be a big tool." Marty shook his head and tried to step back towards the table, were Rory had been drowned out by the argument, and was now just murmuring the words in confusion, looking concerned.

" What makes you think you're good enough for her, you're just lower middle income. She's debutante. Money. She's one of us. Maybe that's why she cancelled on you for us."

Marty looked up at Rory, hurt, but he quickly hardened his expression.

"Maybe you don't really know her then." Marty said quietly. Logan laughed.

" Yeah, maybe, but I probably know her more _intimately_ than you ever will." He said with a sly smile. It wasn't really all that true, but he would pull anything for this fight. And he could tell that this was all more than just concern for a friend on Marty's part.

" Logan!" Rory exclaimed indignantly, turning red, and looking around herself in embarrassment. Jonathan laughed, but both Colin and Finn frowned and smacked him. Marty tensed his jaw, and looked up at Rory, who was looking confused and embarrassed on top of the table.

" That's it." Marty lunged forward at Logan, punching him in the face.

" Marty!" Rory cried out in surprise. Logan was stunned for a moment, then the pub burst out in noise and he lunged back. He grabbed the back of Marty's sweater and swung him towards some tables. Two chairs flew out of the way as Marty struggled to catch himself, and get back up. Grabbing Logan's arms, they wrestled, until Logan smacked up against the bar and Marty freed a hand, punching him in the face. With a hand from Finn, Rory stepped quickly down from the table.

" Marty! Stop it! Marty! Logan!" She shouted helplessly. Logan slipped out from the bar, punching Marty in the stomach, and in the face as he doubled over.

" HEY! THAT'S IT BOYS." A waiter shouted, and a couple of the bartenders waded into the fight and pulled Logan and Marty off each other, from where they were grappling on the floor. Brian and Craig tried to calm Marty down, and hold him back, while Colin and Finn helped Logan up. Logan pushed their arms away, and touched his swelling eye. The two glared at each other. " Out. Both of you now." The waiter told them, but Logan shook his head and pulled out his wallet. He passed over three hundred dollar bills.

" Forget it. We're going. That should cover the damage. From both of us." He glanced over at Marty, who clenched his fists angrily. " Come on." Logan turned and the others followed him out, Finn grabbing the microphone from where it had been dropped onto the table. Rory looked at Marty, who was looking ashamed, as he wiped the blood from his split lip with the back of his hand. She ducked her head and started to follow Logan out.

" I can't believe this!" Marty exclaimed as he saw her following them. " Damn it Rory, they're all drinking. How can you drive with them? What are you doing?" Rory stopped, holding the door open.

"Finn hasn't been drinking, I swear!" She protested.

" You know what? Who cares. Do what you want." Marty shook his head in disappointment and turned to go back to the pool table.

" Wait. I'm sorry Marty." Rory pleaded.

" For what?" He said in disbelief.

" For lying. I just…. I don't know what… I just know I'm sorry. Really."

" Look, Rory, I'm not just going to forgive you like that. Don't you even know that's not the way it works?" Marty looked at her incredulously.

" It's….just the way it's always been." She said. He almost stopped, feeling remorseful

for the confused look on her face, but at the same time it infuriated him.

" Yeah, well it's not. Not with me. Not anymore. You can't step all over me Rory."

Marty explained fervently. As she looked down at her feet, he felt even more compassion for her, which just made him more determined to tell her off for once. "You can't suddenly leave a conversation and not give me answers, and blow me off, and do….this, and still expect me to show up to help you at a moment's notice. It's not fair for me. I can't keep doing this. Next time you're in trouble that you just can't fix on your own, call some one else."

" Marty." Rory said quietly, furrowing her forehead.

" Grow up Rory." Marty sighed and turned around for a minute. " Maybe……..No. You know what. Just go home. Or go out. Your boyfriend's waiting for you." Marty glanced dejectedly at Logan. Rory followed his eyes.

" He's not my boyfriend!" Rory protested, but Marty ignored her, pushing through thepub. Rory watched as a blonde came up gently beside Marty, laying her hand on his arm and reaching up to touch his cut lip, and swallowed a sharp jerk at the back of her throat. She turned around, avoiding the people who had been covertly staring at the end of the disturbance, and stumbled back to where the rest were standing by the SUV. Jonathan opened the door for her and she crawled into the back. Wedged back in between Logan and Colin, she felt like she was being suffocated by the silence. It seemed like the only sound was Finn unconsciously, repetitively, tapping his fingers against the steering wheel. They pulled to a stop at a red light and Rory moved her eyes from her lap. She glanced over at Logan, who had moved to make as much room as possible between Rory and himself. She could tell that he was aware she was looking, but he avoided any eye contact. As the opposite lights turned yellow, Logan looked up at Finn.

" I think we call it a night, eh Finn?"

" Right Captain." Finn said somberly. He turned left onto the street that held both Rory and Stephanie's dorms. He glanced back in the rear view. Logan was staring at the window, but not out of it, his mouth set in a tight line. Rory was staring at her lap, her hair falling into her face.

Logan stole a glance at her while Finn stopped to let Stephanie off. He watched her swallow slowly as Finn gallantly kissed Stephanie's hand, then daringly pulled her in for a real kiss. He saw Rory bite her lip as Stephanie pushed Finn back into the driver's seat reprovingly with a simple "Down Finn. Night everyone." Rory glanced back up as Finn pulled the car back into gear, but Logan looked quickly away again. When they got to Rory's dorm, she gathered her scarf in her hand and looked up at Logan.

" I'm sorry. Really sorry Logan. I…I didn't mean…I do. I like you, all of you." She looked up nervously at the rest of the occupants, and continued more quietly to Logan.

" I'm just not sure right now because…. I don't know why. I'm not any good at this." Rory muttered. She decided quickly that there was nothing left to do, or say, so she wrapped her coat more tightly around herself and slipped awkwardly out of the SUV. She didn't look, but she heard the door slam behind her and the car pull off quickly. Pushing her hair behind her ear she hurried inside, fumbling with her key. The key slipped around the lock. She scratched the paint on the door when she started suddenly at a noise on the stairs, the idea that it might be Marty popping into her mind. But when she looked, it was only a couple of girls from the third floor. When she turned back, the door was open and Paris was standing right in front of her. Rory let out a little yelp, and the two girls on the stairs looked back in surprise. She looked down in embarrassment and pushed her way inside.

" Paris." Rory said irritably.

" You look awful."

" Nice to see you too." Rory pulled off her jacket and threw it angrily at the coat rack. It slumped to the floor, and Paris stood watching her with crossed arms. Rory stormed to the fridge, opened it, saw nothing, and slammed it angrily. She finally walked over the couch, but instead of sitting down, she hovered over it, unsure as to whether she should sit or not. Paris walk over to the loveseat indifferently, sat down and looked at her.

" What happened."

" Nothing."

" That's a lie." Paris said simply. Rory frumped onto the couch and grabbed a pillow, hugging it fiercely to her chest.

" So."

" So are you going to tell me, or are you going to be annoying and sulk."

" Sulk." Rory replied decidedly.

" Fine." Paris stood up and started for her bedroom.

" What's wrong with me." Rory said suddenly. Paris stopped.

" In what way?"

" Tonight. I was stupid, and drunk on champagne." Rory shook her head. " And I went to the pub, and I was singing Ashlee Simpson on a bar table."

" In the name of all things holy, why."

" A dare. And champagne. Mostly champagne."

" Still." Paris said reprovingly.

" I know ! But it gets worse."

" Do I really want to hear this?"

" Marty was there, and I saw him with this girl, but he tried to get me to stop, and he got in a fight with Logan, and then I pissed him off, and then he said Logan was my boyfriend, and I said he wasn't, and Logan heard, and now I think he's angry at me…." Rory dropped her head onto the pillows next to her and further explained the event.

"Guys." Paris said decidedly.

" What?" Rory looked up from the sofa in confusion.

"Guys. They seem to be you're biggest area of difficulty. I'm going to guess it has

something to do with your father."

" Paris."

" You always have two around."

" I do not!" Rory protested.

" One reliable, very John Brown or A.J. Citizen type, and one all James Dean, or James Bond, or what have you." Paris continued.

" I do not!"

" Dean, and Tristan."

" I never went out with Tristan." Rory interjected.

" Well you never really got a chance did you." Paris pulled, as a counter point. " Dean and Jess."

" So?"

" Dean and Logan. Logan and Marty." Paris listed.

" Okay. Maybe. But why? Why would I do this?"

" According to my psychology class, I think it has something to do with your relationship with you father. If you are essentially attracted to the type of person your father is."

" Ew!"

" It's just the Elektra complex. Relax. It just means that you look for some one interesting. Unpredictable, like him. Thus Jess and Logan. Meanwhile, you have abandonment issues with him as well, so you look for a stable, constant, if sometimes boring, guy, like Dean." Paris explained rationally.

" And Marty?" Rory added hesitantly.

" I'm not sure about Marty yet. He seems more like Dean, but definitely an upgrade. He's more your equal, so to speak, in some ways. I think he presents somewhat differently that past interests."

"Ugh. I hate men." Rory whined, rolling her face into the pillow.

" You might consider lesbianism."

" PARIS." Rory yelled through the pillow

" Doyle and I saw Kinsey last night. Ambisexuality of some degree is very natural. You

might want to explore it."

" I can't believe this." Rory groaned

" Relax Gilmore. I was just kidding. You need sleep." Paris rolled her eyes and tossed an afghan from over the back of the loveseat at Rory.

" This is not a time for kidding."

" You know, I don't like Logan Huntzberger, but he was right about one thing. You take

yourself too seriously." Paris said over her shoulder,

" I can't believe YOU'RE telling me this!"

" Well, you had to hear it from some one. Better a friend." Paris said decidedly.

"I'm going to sleep."

" I'm just saying." Paris excused .

" GOOD NIGHT Paris." Rory said finally, pulling the blanket up and over her head.

Paris shook her head and headed for her room. She stopped at the doorway and turned back.

" You know Rory, you're lucky that you have so many people care about you. Marty. And Logan. They're just some of them. I think you just have to be more aware. If you have more people, you have to more careful, because sometimes you can hurt them, because of someone else, and you don't realize it."


End file.
